There are many existing product out their that induce lucid dreams.
The nova dream mask is one of them, invented by Stephen LaBerge after a decade of research.
The dream mask detects when you are in REM sleep by sending the dreamer a cue, by means of lights or sound. This makes it much easier for the individual to detect when they are dreaming, allowing them to become conscious in dreams and eventually lucid.
Stephen LaBerge's , Nova Dream Machines.
A video about this product.
Brion Gysim's , Dream machine.
The dream machene consists of a metal cylinder with slits cut in the side. Rotating 45 times a second, a strong bulb in the middle allows light to flicker outward causing visual stimuli relaxing the mind sending the viewer into an almost dream like hypnotic state.
Short video of an installation, showing the motion of the machene.
Luke Jerram, Dream Director.
An art instalation in which 20 people per night were invited to sleep in an art gallery in specialy constructed pods.
Below is a video in which the results of the experiment are revealed. It was found that everyone had a very similar dream.
Lucid dreaming is effectively taking charge of your own dreams. With practice it allows you to go to places you have never been and enjoy experiences you never thought possible. The possibilities are endless, you could fly over mountains, walk with dinosaurs, visit friends and people that have passed. Lucid dreaming allows you to fulfil your brains full potential. We spend on average a third of our lives dreaming so why not make the most of that time!
I now know that dreams are very visual and play out based on what you may of seen or thought of during the day. So if we think about dreams enough during the day then based on fact we will start to dream about dreams and this could open the door to lucid dreaming?
I have found there are various there are various tried and tested techniques that can aid lucid dreaming.
These are tried and tested methods that approach the subject from a variety of interesting angles.
Mnemonic Induction of lucid dreams: How to preform the MILD technique.
Created by lucidity expert Dr Stephen LaBerger, MILD is the easiest lucid dream method. The technique basically enhances the dreamers awareness and sets the intention to lucid dream. MIlD works more effectively with the combined use of a dream journal. Based on fact dreams are all about what we think and see during our conscious state. So if we put dreams to the front of our mind then sooner or later we will dream about dreams, this in brief is the underlining principle of MILD.
1. Perform Reality Checks.
So question the world around you, ask yourself questions such as am i in a dream? Do i know this place? Then answer these questions this constant analysis of self and your environment will enable you to define the real world and the dream world. Reality check can also be as simple as checking your hands at regular intervals in the real world they will be normal nothing will happen but in the dream world an irregularity almost always occurs, this could be an extra finger etc. The more you do these checks during the day the more likely you are to come across them in a dream. This can trigger a eureka moment when you see recognise these signs in a dream and the irregularity occurs your conscious will recognise your dreaming and open the door to a new world.
2. Set the intention to have a lucid dream.
This is a simple suggestion to your subconscious, before you go to bed say to yourself "tonight i will lucid dream " or "the next dream will be a lucid dream". This should be said will a determination and real belief for it to be granted by your conscious. Language is very important the use of positive termination such as "I will".
I found these videos incredibly useful, they are a series of 10 seminars by the creator of the MILD technique Dr Stephen LaBerger.
WILD is the oldest lucid dream technique and was practiced by Tibertan Monks over a thousand years ago. Effective use of the technique can generate highly vivid dreams. Basicly the aim of WILD is to fall asleep whils concious. It is a hynagonic process and requires an element of meditation.
HOW TO ?
The best time to practice WIlD is after 4 to 5 hours of NREM sleep. So wake up early set an alarm this is important because early in the morning some time before you awake this is when your REM cycles become longer.
1. Relax your body and mind.
Close your eyes and lie on your back. Take three deep breaths in and out. Feel your body sinking into the bed, and let go of all the tension in your muscles. Enjoy the feeling of relaxation, and focus on your intention to control your dreams.
Allow any thoughts to pass you by, without interacting with them. Keep your body totally relaxed and still. Repeat over in your mind: "One. The next scene will be a dream. Two. The next scene will be a dream. Three..." etc. This will set your intention and keep your mind alert while your body slowly drifts back to sleep.
2. Observe Hypnogogic Imagery.
After 5-10 minutes you will see hypnagogic imagery. This is the beginning of the dream state! Blobs of colour will swirl around behind your closed eyelids. Observe it if you like, but also be aware of other sensations beyond your field of vision. Let your inner voice go quiet. As the dream state deepens, you will be aware of voices and sounds. This is normal - they are coming from inside your own head. Hold on to this state of blissful relaxation, while focusing on your intention to recognise the dream state when it occurs.
3. Fall asleep Consciously.
Remember you are tricking your body to fall asleep consciously. So hold on to that thin strand of conscious awareness as your mind goes deeper. This is the great secret of meditation. It is not easy at first, but practice makes perfect.
When your body falls asleep, you may hear a loud vibrating or humming sensation in your head. It's exciting at first, and may ruin your early attempts at the WILD technique. This is the point of transition: from waking to the dream state. If you try to move now, you may find your body has naturally entered sleep paralysis. This is normal and occurs every time you go to sleep - you just aren't usually aware of it. It's a weird sensation but nothing to worry about. Most people don't even notice this state when practicing Wake Induced Lucid Dreams.
4.Enter the Lucid Dream.
At this point your mind is aware but your body is asleep you can mould the world around you.
This form of lucid dreaming can be easier if the dreamer
has an understanding of meditation this inner self control
will keep the conscious mind at bay.
This is a very eacy technique to aid lucid dreaming, and involves adjusting sleep cycles to raise your concious awareness during early morning REM sleep phases. CAT was created by Daniel Love an expert on lucid dreams based in the UK, he tried his technique on 10 students 8 were able to lucid dream within the first two weeks. The process can allow an indervidual to have up to four lucid dreams a week.
CAT is an easy technique only made hard by the fact the dreamer has to get up early, but this self motivation is essential to reaping the benefits.
Below is a step by step guide:
STEP 1: Set your alarm clock to 90 minutes before your normal wake-up time. Do this every day for one week to reset your body clock. As a result, CAT will not give you any lucid dreams in the first week.
STEP 2:From day 8, alternate your wake-up time on a daily basis. Normal, early, normal, early, and so on.
When you go to bed, set the intention to awake at the earlier time and do lots of reality checks. Even if you know you are waking up at the later time, prepare for an early start.
On normal days, your body will expect you to get up early. So your mind will already be stimulated and more likely to become conscious while you are still dreaming. This dramatically improves your chances of having many lucid dreams in a week - hopefully every other day.
WBTB is a cycle adjustment technique with immediate results. It is great for beginners, and many report to have had many multiple conscious dreams. It involves three simple steps to gaining greater lucidity in dreams.
STEP ONE - Go to bed as normal and allow yourself to sleep for six hours. Set your alarm clock or have another early riser wake you up.
STEP TWO - After six hours, get out of bed and fully wake yourself up. Find something to occupy your brain to make you alert. Read about lucid dreaming if you want to stay focused on the subject. Stay alert for 20-60 minutes. (Hint: you must get out of bed!)
STEP THREE - Go back to bed and relax. If your mind is too alert, practice meditation, generally calm the mind. Use your visualisation skills and think about your next lucid dream as you fall asleep.
WBTB works because by waking up at this time you stimulate your conscious brain at a time it would normally be experiencing REM, this in turn enhances your awareness within the dream.
Meditation has been a state of mind for 5000 years, and is a component of almost every religion. Meditation is used for:
Aiding relaxation.
Improving concentration.
To encourage abstract thoughts.
Altering your state of awareness.
All the above are relevant in the practice of lucid dreaming, so meditation can be a great aid in realising your dreams.
There are 2 main skills to develop:
Focus: a higher degree of mental focus.
Quiescence: a stillness of mind.
Breathing to quiescence the mind, and Guided meditation to focus the mind.
Breathing Meditation:
Choose a quiet place. You can cross your legs (like a traditional Buddha) or sit in a chair. The key is to keep your back straight to stop your mind from becoming sleepy.
Allow your eyes to close naturally and focus on your breathing, without actually trying to control it. Breathe in and out through the nostrils and become aware of how the air feels as it enters and leaves your body.
At first, your mind will be full of jumbled thoughts and it may feel like things are getting busier. In fact, you are increasing your self awareness and noticing how many thoughts you really have. Avoid the temptation of following your thoughts as they occur. Stay focused on your breath going in and out of your nose.
If you realise your mind has wandered, bring it back. If you keep this up for 10-15 minutes, you will achieve a quiet state of mind. Your thoughts will be clear and lucid, like a calm lake that has not been disturbed for a long time.
Guided Meditation:
Choose a quiet place to meditate and sit comfortably. Focus on your breathing and allow your eyes to close naturally. You are about to increase your self awareness and mentally disassociate from your physical body.
Imagine that you are walking through a beautiful garden. It is natural and wild and never-ending. Feel the clean air entering your lungs, and observe the tranquil environment around you. If you use meditation CDs, follow your guide into the peaceful environment they describe.
The aim is to use your visualisation skills to increase your awareness of this imaginary landscape while allowing your mind and body to release stress. Listen intently to the peaceful silence. You may start to hear birdsong or the rhythmic sound of raindrops. The stronger the mental imagery, the better.
Feel the texture of the grass under your bare feet. Stop to touch the flowers and feel the warm air circulating around you. Make every movement slow and deliberate. Take as long as you like to explore your tranquil garden.
It may help you focus if you continue walking at all times, so that the scenery is forever changing. Moving down a gentle slope in your garden will mirror the action of your consciousness going deeper.
After about 15 minutes you will be in a trance-like state, with little awareness of your physical body. Gently rouse yourself from the trance by counting backwards from five to one, taking deep breaths as you do. Give yourself a few moments before you open your eyes.
Our brain reacts brilliantly to reputation like with dream signs the more we see think and record our dreams the more the idea of dreams registers with our subconscious, leading to more vivid dreams and with time lucid dreams. The average dreamer has five dream cycles per night at the end of each cycle there is a period of REM (dream sleep), most people have on average a hundred mins of REM sleep per night. The closer to morning the longer the REM sleep.
And this is why you are more likely to remember dreams that occur first thing in the morning. And this is the time you should be using your dream journal.
Keeping a dream journal:
1. Keep your dream journal close to your bed at arms reach. This is very important as you need to get your dreams down on paper as quick as possible, dreams fade very easily. When selecting your journal make sure its of substantial size, the bigger the journal the bigger the dreams. TIP, When you wake up, shut your eyes and visualise the dreams you had, give your mind a moment to recall them and then proceed to write them down.
2. When recording dreams make sure you keep a record of the dates you had each dream this will help with your dream recall and aid you in interpreting dreams. If you know the date of the dream then you have more chance of recalling the events of that particular day and what relevance they may have with your dream.
3. When writing about dreams always recall everything in the present tense i.e "I am walking" this puts you in the moment, giving the dream a stronger logic.
4. Identify dream themes, this can be locations characters etc. This assessment will aid understanding of dreams and raise your general awareness. You may also find with time you start to see patterns in dreams i.e a certain person will be frequently present, or you find that your in a location more often than not. These regular occurrences can act out as dream signs so the next time you see that person you can perform reality checks " am i in a dream " then if you do come across that person in a dream state and something irregular happens your conscious will realise this leaving the door open to a lucid dream.
5. Sketch your dreams, this can help you to visualise them at a later date giving you a greater understanding of location and scale.
6. Title your dreams appropriately i.e " the nissan micra" this will also aid visualisation at a later date. Also giving unusual dreams or lucid dreams a mark i.e an L for lucid. This will simply make it easier when recalling dreams and also help to work out how many lucid dreams you may have had over a particular time.
7. Keep an actual Diary: Write down as much detail as you can about your day where you went, who you saw, who you were with, every thought location and object. This will inevitably aid you when it comes to decoding dreams, you will be able to compare both worlds with more detail with greater understanding.
This is a short video on how to keep a dream journal this really helped me to understand the significance of writing down my own dreams.
Reality checks are a simple yet effective method to inducing lucidity in dreams. The dreamer simply question their reality in there waking state this repletion is absorbed by the subconscious, this in turn raises awareness and allows the dreamer to identify more quickly that they are dreaming. This realisation is the key to becoming conscious in dreams and controlling them from within.
In short reality checks increase awareness and act as a trigger to lucid dream. SO..... There are 2 types of reality checks: 1. Questions? 2. Visual Checks.
The most basic reality checks are to simply ask yourself questions.
Am i awake right now?
Is this a dream?
How do i know?
Is this place familiar?
you will know because you can see and feel and most of all because nothing out of the ordinary has happened. In a dream something weird will WILL HAPPEN.
So......
If you constantly look at your watch throughout the day recognising the time. Eventually this process will appear in your dreams, however in a dream the time will be blurred or in some way different, this will prompt a visual Que. and allow you conscious to take over.
Below are some examples on how time might appear different in dreams compared to reality.
Normal time.
Dream time.
Visual reality Checks:
Most of our dreams are based on what we have seen throughout the day. Our brains react brilliantly to repetition and visual stimulant so the more you see something the more likely your are to come across this in a dream.
Below are a list of Visual reality checks, when practicing these during the day keep note of the fact nothing happens. Ask yourself the question does anything unusual happening in a dream something strange will occur.
Breathing - can you hold your nose and mouth shut and still breathe?
Jumping - when you jump, do you float back down?
Reading - can you read a sentence twice without it changing?
Vision - is your vision clearer or blurrier than normal?
Hands - can you push your right fingers through your left hand?
Time - can you read a clock face or digital watch?
Magic - can you fly, shape shift, or walk through walls?
Lights - do light switches work properly?
Mirrors - does your reflection look normal in the mirror?
Memory - what day is it and what are you doing now?
Logic - can you add up two numbers for a correct answer?
dream mirror
In a dream the above will be distorted in some way! i.e Lights: When you flick a switch the lights will never just turn on and off, they wont be effected or the switch itself will be in some way distorted.
distorted dream switch
When you spot a dream sign, do a reality check!
Reality Checks are simply:
BRAIN TRAINING.
A bit of a slow video on doorways which are a great example of a reality check. this is the sort of repletion that is required.
Pick something in your bedroom close by and highly visual. This is going to be your dream Anchor.
This is basically something that you will associate with dreams.
look at your anchor before you go to bed saying to yourself "I will remember my dreams" also a soon as you wake up.
This will remind the dreamer to focus and plant a subconscious intention.
Inform yourself
This is a simple technique kind of self explanatory. Throughout the day and before you go to bed tell yourself i am going to lucid dream. Research shows that such brain instruction boost the odds of you doing so.
Set Alarm Set your alarm half an hour earlier than usual. Very similar to the WBTB technique this puts you straight into your most active REM period. This makes you 20 to 50 percent more likely to control your dream.
Take a min Give yourself a min before you get up to recall your dreams, this moment of reflection will help you better remember them.
Time shifts Be aware that time jumps in dreams and is never logical. In a dream use this as a dream sign ask yourself what have i been doing over the last 10 mins and how did i get to this place, if you cant answer them your in a dream.
Don't drink alcohol Just like in real life you may have done something but you cant remember it as a result of alcohol. This is exactly the same as dreams alcohol will disrupt your dream pattern enabling you to remember them.
Go to bed early Not to early maybe half an hour before your usual time. This is simply because the more tired you are the less focused you will be in your various dream exercise before you go to bed, and the more tired you will be in the morning this damaging your dream recall.
Some videos i found on you tube that helped me gain a gain a basic understanding of lucid dreams. I like the simplicity of these videos, I would like my design for print to inform my audience on a basic level.
Lucid dreaming is effectively taking charge of your own dreams. With practice it allows you to go to places you have never been and enjoy experiences you never thought possible. The possibilities are endless, you could fly over mountains, walk with dinosaurs, visit friends and people that have passed. Lucid dreaming allows you to fulfil your brains full potential. We spend on average a third of our lives dreaming so why not make the most of that time!
